(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a primary or a secondary battery using a halogen as a cathode (positive pole) active material in which the halogen is dissolved in an organic solvent so as to be stably stored and fed.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, new types of batteries have been developed in compliance with requirements of various uses. As the batteries for storing electrical power, and batteries for electrically driven vehicles which can store a relatively large amount of electric power, batteries using a halogen have been developed. Typical examples include zinc/chlorine type and zinc/bromine type batteries. They can be used as both a primary and a secondary battery. However, it is their common problem as to how the halogen is stored and smoothly removed when needed.
Every halogen is a harmful gas, and thus it must be stored in a sealed container which is separated from the battery portion (U.S. Pat. No. 3,328,202). Particularly in the case of a chlorine gas which is gaseous at ordinary temperature, it must be kept in a bomb (U.S. Pat. No. 377,722). When this method is employed for the secondary battery, a mechanism for drying and compressing the halogen which is generated during charging must be provided for the battery system, and this presents a large obstacle to the construction of the battery. For the purpose of overcoming these drawbacks, methods other than the techniques for directly liquefying the halogen are being researched.
Heretofore, there has been used one method (a complex compound method; IEEE, New York, 1975, p. 1141-1146) in which the halogen is converted into a complex compound with an amine and is stored in a liquid state, and another method (a hydrate method; U.S. Pat. No. 3,713,888) in which the halogen is mixed with water which has been cooled to several degrees centigrade or less and is stored in the form of a solid hydrate such as Cl.sub.2.6H.sub.2 O or Br.sub.2.10H.sub.2 O. These methods involve reactions such as complexing reactions and hydrating reactions, and thus in these cases, to form and decompose a complex or hydrate heat energy corresponding to the heat of each reaction must be eliminated from the system and fed from the outside into the system. Such an elimination or introduction of heat energy would correspondingly adversely affect the efficiency of the battery. As for the hydrate method, the halogen cannot be stored securely, unless water is maintained in a cold state during the storage.